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ROV Submarines Used To Reclaim Artifacts From Three Miles Underwater

When the main boosters for the Apollo Saturn V rockets fell into the Atlantic Ocean in the 1960s and 1970s, it was probably expected that they would never be seen again. The hardware that started men on their journey to the Moon sank in 3 miles of water, where they have lain for more than 40 years.

Until now. Bezos Expeditions reports on its website that they are returning to Cape Canaveral with enough parts to piece together displays of two flown F-1 engines.

Jeff Bezos writes on the website that it is his hope that the hardware recovered using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) at a depth of three miles will tell the story of how the engines contributed to the space program, including their 5,000 miles-per-hour fall back to Earth and the subsequent impact with the Atlantic. He said watching the ROVs work underwater was something like watching an EVA in space ... until the occasional deep-sea fish swam into view.

Bezos said that not all of the serial numbers on the engines are complete, so identifying on which mission they flew may be challenging. He said the next step is to stabilize the components against further corrosion so that they may be put on display where "just maybe it will inspire something amazing."